MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

SPECIES: Hesperocyparis goveniana
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
Cypress (Hesperocyparis spp.) wood is generally durable and stable. It is
suitable for a wide range of exterior uses including joinery, shingles,
and boats. Possible interior uses include moulding and panelling [29].
Cypress shelterbelts provide good firewood. Most cypress species
develop a large proportion of heartwood, which splits well, dries
quickly, and is clean burning. Cypress wood is moderately fast burning
because of its medium density. As cypress woods are prone to sparking,
they are recommended only for enclosed fires [29].
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Rodents and deer consume cypress seedlings [27]. Cypress are considered
undesirable forage for livestock, although young plants are occasionally
browsed [27].
PALATABILITY :
NO-ENTRY
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Grazing and trampling by livestock are detrimental to cypress seedlings.
Fire followed by intensive grazing could eliminate a cypress grove [1].
Gowen cypress grows best on the coast. Although waterlogged soils may
result in dwarfed trees, Gowen cypress could be safely used for low
hedges and windbreaks because of its dense growth habit [26,27].
Gowen cypress seedlings are susceptible to damping-off fungi [26]. Both
subspecies are highly susceptible to coryneum canker (Coryneum
cardinale), which can kill trees [27]. Fungicides are effective in
preventing the spread of the disease but cannot eradicate it once
infection has begun [27].

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

SPECIES: Hesperocyparis goveniana
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Gowen cypress is a native, evergreen tree. It has a bushy growth form and grows
from 16.5 to 23 feet (5-7 m) tall [5,18,27]. Mendocino cypress has a
single, slender trunk and sparse crown [18,27]. It grows from 3.3 to
6.6 feet (1-2 m) tall on sterile soils and from 33 to 165 feet (10-50 m)
tall on richer soils [5,18,27]. Mature leaves of both subspecies are
0.04 to 0.08 inches (1-2 mm) long, although they can be up to 0.4 inch
(10 mm) long on vigorous shoots [27]. Ovulate cones are solitary, up to
0.8 inch (20 mm) long. Staminate cones are 0.12 to 0.16 inch (3-4 mm)
long [18,27]. The bark is smooth and fibrous, becoming rougher with
age. It can be several centimeters thick [5,27]. The bark of Mendocino
cypress occurs in strips, peeling easily after death of the tree, but
otherwise intact [27]. Gowen cypress forms a well-defined taproot and
numerous laterals the first year [8,27]. The root systems of
Gowen cypress are extensive and shallow, less than 1 foot (30 cm) deep
[26].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Phanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Gowen cypress reproduces exclusively from seed. Mendocino cypress cone
production is abundant on dwarfed and mature trees, but is rare or
absent on young vigorous trees [27]. Staminate cones are usually first
produced when trees are 6 to 7 years old, but have developed on 1- and
2-year-old seedlings of Mendocino cypress and Gowen cypress, respectively [8,27].
Ovulate cones are produced on trees that are 4 years of age or older. The
cones require 2 years to mature [1,27], and contain from 90 to 130 seeds [8,27].
The cones of California cypress are closed; they persist on the tree until
opened by the heat of a fire or from desiccation due to age [8,26].
Seeds are shed gradually over several months after the cones open [26].
Detached cones will open, but they rarely result in seedling
establishment, usually due to lack of a suitable seedbed [1]. Seed
dispersal is primarily by wind and rain [26].
Gowen cypress germination rates range from 23 to 53 percent [16]. Seeds
require bare mineral soil for germination and establishment. Seedling
mortality is high on shaded sites with abundant litter because of
damping-off fungi [1,26]. Seedlings are sensitive to excessive moisture
[27].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Gowen cypress is confined to poorly drained, acidic, podzolic soils,
usually on exposed sites [16,26]. In Mendocino County, these areas are
flooded during the winter, forming shallow bogs or ponds [26,27].
Gowen cypress occurs at elevations from 100 to 990 feet (30-300 m). Mendocino
cypress occurs at elevations below 1,650 feet (500 m) [26].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Facultative Seral Species
Site requirements for cypress seedlings are typical of those for pioneer
conifers. Seedlings are shade intolerant and survive best in full
sunlight on bare mineral soil [1,26]. According to Armstrong [1],
cypress trees of southern California are very sensitive to lack of
light, losing their foliage when growing in shade.
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Cypress species pollination occurs in late fall and spring [27]. Seeds
mature 15 to 18 months after pollination. Ovulate cones remain closed
until opened by heat or age [8,27].

FIRE ECOLOGY

SPECIES: Hesperocyparis goveniana
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Gowen cypress is a fire-adapted, fire-dependent species [13,26]. It has
slightly fire-resistant bark and serotinous cones. Its low branching
habit makes it susceptible to crown fires [1,26]. The serotinous cones
of the California cypress species persist on trees for years [13,28].
Cone opening is erratic and almost negligible except when cones are
exposed to extreme heat; then it is rapid and uniform [16,28]. When
opened by the heat of a fire, the seeds fall on exposed mineral soil
[13,27]. Most seed falls in the first few months following fire [28].
Fires that occur in late summer and fall and are followed by winter
rains ensure seed dissemination on bare mineral substrates and moist
conditions for germination [26]. Successful cypress reproduction is
generally restricted to burned sites [26]. No information was available
on fire-free intervals for communities dominated by Gowen cypress.
Tecate cypress (Hesperocyparis forbesii), however, a
cypress found in southern California, has an average interval between
fires of 25 years, ranging from 15 to 63 years [1,26]. Cypress trees of
southern California generally reach cone-bearing age before another fire
occurs [26].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Tree without adventitious-bud root crown
Crown residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)

FIRE EFFECTS

SPECIES: Hesperocyparis goveniana
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Most fires probably kill Gowen cypress. Cypress thickets are conducive
to crown fires, which kill most trees. Some trees survive when fires
are patchy [26]. Large trees could probably survive surface fires.
Cones of the California cypress species open as the resin melts and
boils. Rapid charring of the thick cone scales extinguishes the flames,
leaving seeds unburned [1].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Gowen cypress trees release large quantities of seed after fire [27].
Both subspecies produce dense thickets after fire [26]. The Huckleberry
Hill grove of Gowen cypress in Monterey County was reduced from over 100 acres
(40 ha) to only a few hectares by a 1901 fire. By 1948, the grove had almost
returned to its prefire size [26].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Fires occurring too frequently in Gowen cypress groves may destroy them,
as reproduction could be eliminated before it has a chance to produce
cones. Conversely, fire suppression could threaten the species [1].